Burglar Raymond Bould targeted a hair salon, supermarket and garden shed – and even offered one victim £100 to lie to the cops.

Now the 47-year-old is behind bars after admitting embarking on the crime sprees where he stole hairdressers' equipment, radiators, and disco equipment.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard that Bould broke into Uttoxeter's branch of Francesco's at 11.42pm on September 26 last year where he swiped straighteners, curling tongs and various brushes worth around £1,000.

He returned to steal from the same business in the early hours of October 10 where there the court was told he pinched various items and also caused damage.

Caroline Harris, prosecuting, said: “He stated that he was a handler not a burglar. Footwear marks later linked him to the burglary."

However on January 21, Bould used a sledgehammer to smash his way into Asda's Uttoxeter branch where he stole three radiators worth £30 each. The court was he had caused between £300 and £500 worth of damage during the break-in.

Bould was arrested on January 25 after police swooped on his house – where they also found disco equipment. The force later put out an appeal to trace the owner, who discovered the padlock of the shed had been broken and the equipment was missing.

But the burglar, of Stone Road, went to visit the owner with an offer. The prosecutor said: “The defendant then visited the owner of the property and told him that he would give him £100 if he would go to the police station and say that he had given permission for the items to be taken."

The court heard how Bould even offered one victim £100 to lie to the police

Bould went on to admit four counts of burglary and one allegation of perverting the course of justice.

Anis Ali, mitigating, said: “He has committed crime to fund his drug habit. He has been reliant upon cannabis; amphetamine; LSD; heroin and crack cocaine for a number of years. It's not something he's proud of but he has begun engaging in the support he has received in custody – he is now clean.

“He is realistic enough to understand that he is facing an immediate custodial sentence. He wants to put all of this behind him so he can re-engage with the community."